Scottish Executive

Concessionary Travel

John Swinburne (Central Scotland) (SSCUP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-867 by Nicol Stephen on 14 July 2003, when will it introduce an extended concessionary fares scheme on public transport, including a national free off-peak bus scheme for older people and people with disabilities.

Nicol Stephen: Work is being progressed on the partnership agreement commitments on concessionary travel. Discussions are currently taking place with key stakeholders. This will be followed by a formal consultation process and substantial research and implementation work. We will be in a position to make a decision on the precise timing of the introduction of a national free off-peak bus scheme for older people and people with disabilities once the formal consultation process has been completed.

Roads

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any safety concerns regarding the height of grass and plants obscuring traffic signage on the trunk road network in the Highland Council area and what action it has taken, or will take, as a result.

Nicol Stephen: Potential safety issues on the trunk road network are dealt with by the Performance Audit Group issuing hazard notices to the operating company. A hazard notice requires immediate action by the operating company to address the safety problem.

  No hazard notices have been issued to BEAR in the Highland Council area relating to grass or plants obscuring traffic signs. If such concerns were drawn to the attention of the Executive, they would be investigated and appropriate action would be taken.

Waste Management

Dr Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what funding it is considering providing in regard to Dumfries and Galloway Council’s waste management and recycling PPP project and what conditions it will place on the awarding of any such funds.

Ross Finnie: Dumfries and Galloway Council has been offered capped support of up to £1.27 million per annum from the 1998 Level Playing Field Support (LPFS) fund for this project. The conditions attached for this funding are those which were standard to all projects offered LPFS, as detailed in Finance Circular 16/1997.

  An application from the Strategic Waste Fund is currently being assessed.

Waste Management

Dr Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it now expects to make its final decision regarding Dumfries and Galloway Council’s waste management and recycling PPP project.

Ross Finnie: I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-1711 today. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search

  The Scottish Executive expects the assessment process to be completed shortly and an announcement to be made after that.